What Is Hydroponics Marijuana Growing and How to Do It

In hydroponics marijuana growing, a sterile inert growing medium is used and not soil. The nutrients are given to the weed plants through the growing medium and the roots. The basic nutrients needed by cannabis plants include nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus.

Secondary nutrients necessary for a healthy cannabis growth include magnesium, molybdenum, copper, sulfur, calcium, manganese, zinc and boron. The nutrient solution is supplied directly to the roots for maximum absorption.

Growing cannabis in hydroponics is preferred by many gardeners because of the advantages it brings. Because soil is not used as grow medium, weed plants are kept away from soil-borne diseases. Although it is quite costly during the initial set-up, marijuana growing using the hydroponics system will give higher yield.

The Advantages of Growing Weed In Hydroponics

There are several advantages that you can expect in growing weed using Hydroponics. Here are some of them:

There is less space required per marijuana plant

Since you are not dealing with the use of soil as a growing medium, there is no need to worry about proper spacing of your plants in soil. Hydroponics create a precise environment for growing. As such, it ends usually with taking less space when it comes to growing cannabis plants as compared to planting them on soil. All you have to do is to use whatever space that you need in order to deliver nutrients properly, including water, and oxygen going to the roots of the plants. Some expert growers even decide to grow vertically in order to save more space.

Rapid growth of weed plants and higher yield

As long as a hydroponics setup is done accordingly, you can expect rapid growth of weed plants, and higher yield. This is because a hydroponics setup allows you to deliver the best combination of nutrients directly to the roots of your plants. A well prepared hydroponics system will foster the growth of your plants in no time, allowing you to expect the best yields from your plants.

Growing cycle is fast

Because of this, you can harvest buds more often than growing cannabis in soil medium. The total growing time per harvest is shortened. This is basically one of the favorite reasons among marijuana growers. Aside from the time saved on weeding, watering and pest control, it can also speed up the growing cycle, hastening the plant’s growth, thus allowing you to grow another batch again.

If you decide to grow outdoors, you can squeeze in several growing and harvest cycles before the end of the growing season. At the same time, you also have the chance to observe the plants’ growth at a faster pace, while learning about all things you can do in order to improve the plants’ growth faster.

Hydroponics saves water

An average soil cultivator waters their plants every few days, making sure that there is good penetration to the soil, and that the roots can also suck the water up. However, some of the water used simply drips out of the bottom of the container, or even seeping deeper to the ground, while some simply evaporates. Reality dictates that only a small percentage of water is actually used by your plants.

This problem is solved by Hydroponics. Most of the systems in this setup uses a so-called recirculating nutrient reservoir. This only means that the roots of plant will only use up the amount of water needed at a time, leaving the rest inside the reservoir for future use. This reservoir is covered in order to avoid evaporation, and at the same time to ensure that no water can go deeper to the bottom.

For this, the amount of water used in a day with soil cultivation is just the same with the amount of water used for several days or even weeks in a hydroponics setup. This means that you can save about 90% of water used by using hydroponics setup.

Less Diseases and Pests

Most of the diseases associated in growing marijuana is caused by soil borne elements. As such, diseases and pests are reduced drastically in hydroponics. Since soil is removed from the picture and replaced with a highly effective hydroponic media, all of those soil borne pests and diseases are also removed from the picture.

Hydroponics give you control

Bottom line, all of the reasons mentioned above, when combined, resulted to a mega reason why setting up using hydroponics can completely dominate marijuana growing through soil – control.

This means that the power to master the growing environment for your plants is in your hands. It is all up to you to create the best mixture of nutrients, growing schedule and humidity.

You can become an expert guerilla cultivator and scientist

Since growing marijuana is a very discreet procedure, most of the things you learn out of the process is a result of trial and error. As mentioned earlier, you can have control when using this setup. While learning the secrets of the trade, you also learn how to tweak the variables, observing the reaction of your plants.

As such, you can also decide to customize the factors that can make the growing process a success. Keep in mind that every plant is unique. Identifying the adjustments needed is like finding the solution to a puzzle. All you have to do is to make all the pieces fit right in together in order to come up with a final result.

Tips Before Starting Your Hydroponics Setup

To start your weed growing project in hydroponics, get the best quality marijuana seeds to grow. Select a good growing medium and provide cannabis plants with the right nutrient solution. Hydroponic cannabis growing is not recommended for marijuana beginners because of technicalities involved. Technical knowledge is required to make hydroponics pot growing successful.

In running a hydroponics system, you need to ensure that electricity is always available. The indoor grow room where you will cultivate the marijuana plants needs to be cool. Installation of additional vent fans may be necessary to keep the area cool. Maintain the right level of temperature. Choose an excellent lighting system that can accommodate well the number of weed plants you are growing hydroponically. HID lights such as metal halide and high pressure sodium lamps are excellent for your hydroponic area.

Make sure that the nutrients and water temperature is kept at 68F, most particularly if you are operating in a hot growing area when increasing carbon dioxide. With this, you can also choose to aerate hydroponics nutrients and water in order to mix them accordingly, thus increasing the dissolved oxygen amount.

You may also use precise bloom nutrients, as well as a highly effective lighting phase recipe for fatter, and larger buds, thus resulting to better cannabis yields. You can also start growing when the peak blooming phase starts. With this, you can make your temperature for lights off cycle at 10-12 degrees Fahrenheit cooler compared to your lights-on temperature, most particularly if you are growing specific strains such as Afghan or Kush.

Ensure that your growing room environment for your marijuana plants matches the natural conditions of the genetics of your plants. For this, you can do your research in order to see whether or not your plant is fit for an indoor growing setup, or if it only thrives outdoor. If the latter is the case, you may want to tailor the setup even more to mimic the natural growing environment preferred by your plants.

Other tips in order to maximize your hydroponics setup include increasing the filtration on all of your air intakes. You may also decide to add CO2 not higher than 1100-1200 ppm, especially during lights on period.

Marijuana Products and Equipments for a Successful Hydroponic Cannabis Growing

Unlike growing in soil, there are some products and equipment that you need to prepare for yoru hydroponics setup. Here are some of them:

Hydroponic fertilizer– this is to help promote strong roots and fast vegetative growth.

Growing medium– except soil, you can use grow mediums like rockwool, perlite and vermiculite or a combination of perlite and vermiculite.

Air stone and air pump– these things are needed to oxygenate the nutrient solution.You can choose a regular air pump like the ones commonly used in aquariums.

pH testing kit– this is for regular monitoring of the pH of the nutrient solution you are using in growing weed plants.

Hydroponics Growing Medium

If it is your first time to start growing marijuana using hydroponics, the very first thing that you have to consider is deciding whether or not you will utilize inert substance. If you decide on using one, you also need to choose the type you would like to have. In hydroponics setups, one of the most commonly used is the NFT, or the Nutrient Film Technique. This technique involves directly putting the plants’ roots to a film which moves constantly, with the film filled with water that is enriched. You may also want to use other forms of medium, including a landscaping fabric so as to completely cover the roots, blocking unneeded light that might hit your plants.

Other growing options on the list includes the use of rockwool, oasis cubes or coco oil. Other expert growers, however, opt for expanded clay, or pop rocks, and lava rocks. These two options are characterized by their porous characters and thus comes with neutral pH levels. Also, they can be easily cleaned, and can be reused. These options are great for systems that have irrigation systems.

Lava rocks are usually the cheaper option. They are also readily available and can be purchased from any home improvement shops, at its landscaping section. They usually come in big bags and huge chunks of red, porous rocks. They also work well with any system, even with preventing bigger plants from damaging the roots of your plants. Since they are larger, they can also be arranged in a way that you can still accommodate for items including air stones, drip lines, stakes, and others.

On the other hand, pop rocks are the smaller version of lava rocks. They are pelleted, fired shale balls. They can hold water well, and are evenly sized, making the process of cleaning relatively easier. This material can also work well in different growing setups. Several expert growers choose this option for as hydroponics medium because there is more space for water, and for root growth.

Pop rocks are also very easy to prepare. In fact, all you need to do is rinse it very well, and it is all ready for use. It is also the high temperature of the procedure that sterilizes the clay. What you need to watch out, however, is that mold may actually form in the bags.

Selecting the Hydroponics Growing Setup

At this point, you have already decided the specific medium to use. The next step is to consider the setup for your plants. You may want to start with a kit that is equipped with everything that you may need. Even though you may have to count the initial cost for this one, you can consider it as an investment since it can be more cost effective in the long run.

For some growers, using individual pots set on huge water systems are effective. In fact, mesh pots are often the best options. Then, an air stone, air pump, and air hose designed for use in aquariums can be added to aerate the water. This creates air bubbles, keeping moist the inert material, thus offering nutrients to your plants.

There are other setups you can choose from, including drip, ebb and flow, and wick and water culture systems. These setups use specific types of materials. However, all of them need several equipment and things, such as a tray for growing chamber, a reservoir, a submersible pump, a delivery system, and a grow lights set. These are some of the things you can also consider when making a decision.

Final Tips

To start your weed growing project in hydroponics, get the best quality marijuana seeds to grow. Select a good growing medium and provide cannabis plants with the right nutrient solution. Hydroponic cannabis growing is not recommended for beginners because of technicalities involved. Technical knowledge is required to make hydroponics pot growing successful.

In running a hydroponics system, you need to ensure that electricity is always available. The indoor grow room where you will cultivate the marijuana plants needs to be cool. Installation of additional vent fans may be necessary to keep the area cool. Maintain the right level of temperature. Choose an excellent lighting system that can accommodate well the number of weed plants you are growing hydroponically. HID lights such as metal halide and high pressure sodium lamps are excellent for your hydroponic area.

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